Burning and Heartbeat
by Mello McQueen
Summary: 50 glimpses into the relationship between two people learning how to love one another. Draco/Harry.


**Authoress Notes:** Behold, 50 Drarry snapshots.

These were taken from the 1sentence challenge on LJ which I had no desire to officially "claim". A lot of these are related to one another, but it is all pretty vague. However, 4-6, 7-8, 22-23, 38-39 are all blatantly connected, though not necessarily to each other. And also, 18 and 25 are in shameless references to another fic of mine: _Crazy Things_.

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**Burning and Heartbeat**

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**#01 - Air** - Draco can't help laughing when Harry steps back, face flushed, heart racing and breathless, saying: "I need to get some air," before promptly leaving the dance floor.

**#02 - Apples **- Draco loves the sweet, earthy smell of apples if only because they remind him so much of Harry.

**#03 - Beginning** - The first time Draco kisses Harry, he knows it won't be the last time, oh no, it is just the beginning.

**#04 - Bugs **- "I'm sort of-I-I don't like spiders, alright?" Draco confesses after a long moment and Harry laughs aloud as he carefully sets the creature onto the grass before replying: "you know, neither does Ron."

**#05 - Coffee **- "Oh, Merlin, please don't compare me to Weasley, Harry, honestly it's too early for-" but Draco's words are cut off as Harry laughs louder, whole body shaking as he struggles to remain upright and Draco sighs: "I really, _really_, need coffee."

**#06 - Dark **- "You're not afraid of the dark too, are you?" Harry asks; in response, Draco squeezes his hand tighter as they huddle together in the kitchen and wait for the power to come back on.

**#07 - Despair** - "Draco, don't...I...it'll be okay," Harry tries, but Draco barely hears his reassurances over the loud _snap_ that continues to echo inside his head over and over and over again; a broken record for a broken wand.

**#08 - Doors** - "Draco, would you _please_ just get me out of here?" Harry says, pleadingly, as Draco eyes the other side of the door helplessly before he shouts back: "with what? There's no _key_!"

**#09 - Drink** - At first, the idea of his lover having had too much to drink amuses Draco – at least it does until he realizes that Harry can't hold his liquor.

**#10 - Duty **- "Harry," Draco starts, voice small and desperate, "you don't have to do this... I mean, it – it doesn't have to be you..." but it does because this is Harry Potter, _his _Harry, the boy who lived and he's the only one who can defeat Voldemort, no matter what lies Draco tells himself.

**#11 - Earth** - "What is it Ron?" Harry asks, looking away from Draco when he feels someone staring at him and turns to find Ron beside him with a funny grin on his face – Ron who shrugs and says, "Oh nothing, Harry... I was just wondering, when exactly did Malfoy become the centre of the world?"

**#12 - End** - When Harry kisses Draco, soft and slow and sweet, he knows it will be for the last time, because this is it, this is the end.

**#13 - Fall** - "Oh, Draco are you okay?" Harry asks, wide-eyed and breathless with worry, before he's kissing him anxiously, trying to make him better somehow and Draco can't help but think that the fall was definitely worth it.

**#14 - Fire** - When it first starts, Draco wonders if it is magic, or if love is supposed to be this way – all hot burning heats and brilliant scorching fires rushing through his body – searing, where Harry's skin touches his, but eventually he forgets to wonder, and just lets himself _feel_.

**#15 - Flexible** - It's not that Draco wishes he were a girl it's just that – if he were half as flexible as Hermione, this whole "sex with Harry" thing would be a lot less _painful_ in the morning.

**#16 - Flying** - One day a war will ignite, battles will be fought and sides will be chosen but right now...right now, Draco is content to fly with Harry by his side.

**#17 - Food** - The problem isn't that Draco isn't hungry; he's famished, just not for _food_.

**#18 - Foot** - When Harry catches Draco with the kitten in his arms, fingers gently scratching behind white ears, Draco scowls at him and says, "I don't _like it_, I just don't want to accidentally _kill _it." before quickly handing it over, and Harry just smiles.

**#19 - Grave** - Instead of a headstone, there's a statue in Harry's likeness and every time Draco visits the grave he can't stop himself from reaching up and placing a kiss on smooth stone lips.

**#20 - Green** - Some days, when Astoria feels brave, she will ask Draco why green is his favorite colour and each time he'll answer "Slytherin", even though they both know that isn't true.

**#21 - Head** - "Love you..." Harry mumbles so soft that Draco almost doesn't hear him, but he does and he can't help but wonder if Harry is even aware of what he's saying – he doesn't think so, after all, Harry is half asleep by the time his head hits the pillow.

**#22 - Hollow** - "I'm sorry," Harry says, as he holds the door open for Draco – Draco who moves towards it with a hollow, empty feeling in his chest and whispers numbly, "no you're not." because he isn't.

**#23 - Honor** - Of course, when Harry says "leave", Draco does, honoring Harry's request even when all he wants to do is scream until Harry has no choice but to believe it, believe that Draco means it when he says, "I love you."

**#24 - Hope** - "Right, I should go..." Harry whispers, backing away and Draco grabs his wrist before he can think better it, saying: "No, no I-I was hoping you might ...stay?"

**#25 - Light** - Harry's been away, on a mission for the Ministry; Draco stays at the apartment, left alone with the cat, and tries hard not to notice just how bleak the world looks without him around.

**#26 - Lost** - "Don't worry, Malfoy," Harry says, flashing Draco a reassuring smile as they wander aimlessly through the woods, "we're not lost, we're-", a pause, "on an adventure!"; Draco remains entirely unconvinced.

**#27 - Metal **- "Did you know your eyes are sort of mercury coloured?" Harry asks one day and Draco responds, "you're aware that mercury is an extremely _poisonous_ metal, aren't you?" with a smirk on his lips and Harry has the sense not to laugh.

**#28 - New** - It's not the best first kiss in the world, in fact, it's sloppy and wet and just plain _messy_ but this entire relationship is still so new that Draco hardly minds at all.

**#29 - Old** - Sometimes Draco thinks about getting older, and he can't help but wonder if, when they're old and bald with wrinkles and false teeth and bad hips and brittle bones and things, will he still love Harry and more importantly, will Harry still love him?

**#30 - Peace** - After the war Draco barely sleeps – his dreams are a nightmarish blur of memories that leave him shaking and frightened, but that all disappears when Harry lies beside him, a warm presence whispering words of comfort and peace.

**#31 - Poison** - "Pick your poison," Harry says holding out two bizarrely shaped objects which Draco eyes with some level of suspicion, before warily responding, "...only if you promise that neither of them will actually kill me."

**#32 - Pretty** - Draco doesn't mean to beg but he must've done because Harry gives him an exasperated look and says, "You're pretty pathetic," but Draco doesn't mind, not if it means Harry will stay with him.

**#33 - Rain** - _Harry will be alright,_ Draco reassures himself with a smile, breathes, and lets the rain crash down around him washing his fear away.

**#34 - Regret** - After the hearing, Draco tells Harry he is sorry for what feels like the millionth time, even though they both know it won't change anything.

**#35 - Roses** - "This was a good first date," Harry says somewhere between dinner and bidding Draco goodnight, "almost perfect." and before Draco can question the 'almost' Harry puts a finger to his lips and says, "you forgot the roses..." and then he kisses him and Draco couldn't care less about the roses.

**#36 - Secret **- "I want to tell you a secret," Harry whispers against his ear and Draco's heart flutters maddeningly when he says: "I love you."

**#37 - Snakes **- The truth is that he is a Slytherin and Harry is a Gryffindor – a Gryffindor who talks to snakes – but even so, people still manage to be surprised by the ease with which Harry continues to charm Draco.

**#38 - Snow **- "Draco, come look!" Harry calls from the front porch and Draco makes his way outside to be greeted by an excited smile and the blinding white of freshly fallen snow; he isn't sure which is more beautiful.

**#39 - Solid** - Even though his head hurts from where he hit it on the ice when he slipped and fell, Draco doesn't mind it so terribly, not when he's managed to pull Harry down too and the other is a warm, solid weight resting on top of him.

**#40 - Spring **- When Spring arrives Draco recognizes it, not by the sudden warmth or the tell-tell flower buds that blossom on the trees but by the way Harry shines, brighter and more alive than ever before.

**#41 - Stable** - Trying to have a relationship with Harry "the Boy Who Lived" Potter, when you're Draco "the Ex-Death Eater" Malfoy is probably the least sane idea Draco has ever had, but all in all, he's glad he had it; Harry might not be the most stable of partners, but he's certainly the best.

**#42 - Strange** - "I love you," Harry says all bright-eyed and honest and Draco thinks it's odd that he's only just now realizing that the strange fluttering sensation in his stomach means that maybe, just maybe, he loves him too.

**#43 - Summer** - On warm nights they lie outside on the grass and Harry counts the stars; Draco counts each new freckle on Harry's body, baked into his skin by the blazing summer sun.

**#44 - Taboo** - Harry has never told him, "I love you," but sometimes those words bubble up in Draco's throat, usually after they've finished getting each other off – some post-orgasm rush of feelings that Draco is careful never to voice aloud, lest he break some unknown taboo.

**#45 - Ugly** - When Draco finishes opening presents, he sits on the floor and clutches a messily knitted sweater to his chest upon which is stitched the letter 'M' and turns to Harry: "Mrs. Weasley made me a sweater..." he says, and he is most definitely _not_ crying over it; Malfoys don't do that.

**#46 - War** - When Draco steps from the shower and catches sight of his hair in the mirror (dyed a hideous greenish blue) he screams before rushing downstairs to find Harry doubled over at the kitchen table and glaring death, he says: "This is _war_, Potter!"

**#47 - Water** - As Harry steps from the shower, tiny droplets of water clinging to his skin, Draco licks his lips and Harry grins: "Thirsty?"

**#48 - Welcome** - It's been three years since Draco has set foot at Number 12, Grimmauld Place, but when Harry opens the door and finds him there he just smiles and says, "welcome home."

**#49 - Winter** - When winter arrives, a deep chill settles into every corner of the castle making the whole of Hogwarts shiver and voice their complaints, but not Draco, oh no, he just smiles because the cold means he's finally got a good excuse for curling closer to Harry every night.

**#50 - Wood **- One morning Harry wakes to find Draco carving his own initials into the mantel above the fireplace and is surprised when Draco hands him the knife and says, "it's family tradition."

**End**

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**Authoress Notes:** Ultimately, this was a lot of fun and I will most definitely have to do it again. I also recommend anyone who is currently struggling with their inspiration to give it a shot. That being said... tell me, which ones did you like best? **  
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